Brussels alarmed by UK’s vow to diverge from EU rules
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The UK’s pledge to diverge from EU rules after Brexit has provoked alarm in Brussels, with officials warning of an economically damaging split at the end of this year.
European diplomats and trade experts spent the weekend trying to make sense of comments made by Sajid Javid, UK chancellor, in an interview with the Financial Times on Friday.
He urged businesses to “adjust” to a future where Britain no longer adhered to EU rules and regulations. “The main conclusion for the real economy is: prepare for the worst. Anything agreed will be a bonus,” one EU official said.
A European diplomat warned that the kind of loose relationship outlined by Mr Javid would cause economic damage. “In the end it is all rather simple: If Britain wants to diverge from EU rules, it will diverge,” the diplomat said. “Such an approach would obviously lead to new trade hurdles between Britain and the EU and in consequence less trade, less investments, less jobs.”
Mr Javid’s comments have prompted dismay in British business. The car industry has warned that a split from EU rules would cost “billions” of pounds and damage “UK manufacturing and consumer choice”. Unite, the UK’s largest union, said Mr Javid’s refusal to align with EU trading rules could be fatal for automotive, aerospace, and food and drink manufacturers.
